1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of molecular biology. More specifically, the invention relates to transgenic plants comprising multiple transgenes and methods for expressing a plurality of transgenes in plants.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the goals of genetic engineering is to produce hosts, such as plants, with important characteristics or traits. Recent advances in genetic engineering have provided the requisite tools to transform hosts to contain and express foreign genes. Particularly desirable traits of interest for genetic engineering would include but are not limited to protein production, resistance to insects and other pests and disease-causing agents, tolerances to herbicides, enhanced stability, yield, or shelf-life, environmental tolerances, and nutritional enhancements.
The technological advances in transformation and regeneration have enabled researchers to take segments of DNA, such as a gene or genes from a heterologous source, or native source and incorporate the exogenous DNA into a host's genome. The gene or gene(s) can then be expressed in the host cell to exhibit the added characteristic(s) or trait(s). In most transformation approaches, a single vector containing 1-2 genes conferring desirable characteristic(s) is introduced into a host of interest via an appropriate expression vector. Expression of a greater number of transgenes in host cells and organisms has proven to be costly and time consuming.